A Big Band Christmas Mixtape

The New LoFi Mixtape

Merry Christmas everyone! We’re very happy to announce that the annual bonus Christmas Mixtape is here again! For this year’s bonus Christmas mixtape, we’re exploring the big band Christmas classics from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. You’ve got your Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Peggy lee, Louis Armstrong, Andy Williams, Doris day, Burl Ives, Stan Kenton, and many many more.

To record the intro, James took a walk in the recently snow-covered Waltham Forest to soak up the holiday spirit. Here are some snaps from the walk:

Path through the snow

A bridge to the winter wonderland

Winter oak trees

And just to set the mood for the music, here’s an 8 hour video of a crackling Christmas Yule log.

Here is a Spotify playlist version of A Big Band Christmas Mixtape in case you are more of a Spotify user.

If that jazzy big band sound is not what you are looking for during Christmas, you should check out some of our Christmas Mixtapes from previous years: The 80’s Christmas Mixtape, A LoFi Christmas, A Whiskey Soaked Indie Rock Christmas Mixtape, A Classical Christmas Mixtape or The Christmas Mixtape 2000!

A Big Band Christmas Mixtape

1. The Count Basie Orchestra – Jingle Bells (08:31)
2. Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (11:05)
3. Tex Beneke – Sleigh Ride (13:33)
4. Ralph Flanagan & His Orchestra – Winter Wonderland (16:30)
5. Frank Sinatra – Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (19:06)
6. Bing Crosby – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (21:39)
7. Doris Day – I’ll Be Home for Christmas (24:41)
8. Kay Starr – [Everybody’s Waitin’ For] The Man With The Bag (27:04)
9. Les Brown & His Band Renown – The Nutcracker Suite (29:42)
10. Duke Ellington – Jingle Bells (36:09)
11. Dean Martin – Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (38:44)
12. Andy Williams – Sleigh Ride (40:28)
13. Peggy Lee – Happy Holiday (42:30)
14. Nat King Cole – Joy To The World (44:20)
15. Stan Kenton – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (45:41)
16. Perry Como – (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays (47:19)
17. Ray Anthony – A Marshmallow World (50:12)
18. Gene Autry – Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) (52:54)
19. Andy Williams – Kay Thompson’s Jingle Bells (55:54)
20. Les Brown & His Band Renown – I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (57:23)
21. Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters – Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (01:00:05)
22. Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby (01:02:45)
23. Burl Ives – A Holly Jolly Christmas (01:06:09)
24. Frank Sinatra – I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams) (01:08:20)
25. The Andrew Sisters – Christmas Island (01:11:27)
26. Bing Crosby – White Christmas (1942) (01:13:58)
27. Dean Martin & Martina McBride – Baby, It’s Cold Outside (01:17:00)
28. Stan Kenton & His Orchestra – Intermission Riff (01:19:45)
29. Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas) (01:22:58)
30. George Shearing – Snowfall Cha-Cha (01:26:04)
31. Tex Beneke – Snowfall (01:30:26)
32. Vince Guaraldi – O Tannenbaum (01:33:10)
33. Andy Williams – White Christmas (01:38:07)
34. Beegie Adair – The Christmas Waltz (01:40:30)
35. Billy May and his Orchestra – Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer Mambo (01:43:09)
36. Harry James – Brazilian Sleigh Bells (01:45:45)
37. Lionel Hampton Orchestra – Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (01:48:08)
38. Louie Armstrong – Christmas in New Orleans (01:50:47)
39. Count Basie & His Orchestra – Goin To Chicago (01:53:38)
40. Bing Crosby & The Andrew Sisters – Mele Kalikimaka (01:57:19)
41. Lena Horne – Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (02:00:10)
42. Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers – Jingle Bells (02:02:36)
43. Bing Crosby & Ella Fitzgerald – Marshmallow World (02:05:10)
44. Frankie Carle – Little Jack Frost Get Lost (Marjorie Hughes) (02:08:00)
45. Mills Brothers – You Don’t Have To Be A Santa Claus (02:10:41)
46. Bing Crosby – Frosty The Snowman (02:13:25)
47. Frank Sinatra – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (02:15:36)
48. Bing Crosby – I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (02:19:00)
49. Judy Garland – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (02:21:41)
50. Jackie Gleason – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (02:24:24)
51. Bing Crosby – The First Snowfall (02:26:51)
52. Benny Goodman – Jingle Bells (1935 instrumental) (02:29:51)
53. Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (02:32:23)
54. Frank Sinatra – The Christmas Waltz (02:35:23)
55. Michael Bublé – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (02:38:23)
56. The Pupini Sisters – Here Comes Santa Claus (02:41:44)
57. Lena Horne – Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (02:44:44)
58. Louis Armstrong – Winter Wonderland (02:46:57)
59. Les Brown – I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (02:49:50)
60. Nat King Cole – Deck The Halls (02:52:44)
61. Tex Beneke – Sleigh Ride (02:53:49)
62. Bing Crosby & Peggy Lee – Snow (02:56:47)
63. Dorris Day – The Christmas Song (02:59:23)
64. Peggy Lee – The Christmas Waltz (03:02:00)
65. Harry Simeone Chorale – The Little Drummer Boy (03:04:48)
66. Ella Fitzgerald – What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve (03:07:56)